


Family Relations

by Antopops



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Fighting, Rape (mentioned), family drama really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 10:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4560912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antopops/pseuds/Antopops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaya wants nothing to do with Clan Lavellan</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Relations

“We’ve news from Clan Lavellan.”

Kaya froze, her shuffling through papers stopping abruptly. Cullen eyed her discreetly, brow creasing with worry. Leliana glanced at her before she continued on reading the report.

“They request we release you from ‘imprisonment’ or provide proof of your willingness to assist the Inquisition in its efforts.”

Kaya’s ear twitched slightly, a small, absentminded habit Cullen had picked up on throughout their time together. She looked confused and angry as she set down her papers. “They want me to return?” she asked cautiously.

“Or the latter, which is what I recommend.” added Josephine. She smiled softly at her joke but it disappeared once Kaya turned on her heel and stormed out past the advisors. The War Room doors slammed shut, leaving them all in silence. “I… I didn’t mean to offend…” Josephine gripped her quill and frowned.

“I don’t believe it was you, Josie,” reassured Leliana. “Needless to say the Inquisitor and her family never saw eye to eye.”

Cullen’s eye twitched in annoyance. How did Leliana know more about Kaya’s family relations than him? He’d brought it up once, when he was telling her about his childhood. He’d described how he used to play with his siblings, then asked her what it was like growing up in a clan, having to look out for one another. She’d frowned and her eyes had turned stormy.

“I looked out for myself in my clan, no one did that for me.” she’d said, and then dropped the subject.

Cullen set down his own reports and re-buckled his sword back to his hip. “I’ll go speak with her.”

“Tread lightly, Commander.” was all Leliana said. He nodded, holding back a scowl until he was out of the War Room.

The normal buzz from the main hall greeted the Commander once he was out of Josephine’s office. The crowd that usually gathered inside had seemingly grown over the weeks along with the Inquisition's fame. Their accomplishments had given him a sense of pride; after Kirkwall he never could have dreamed things would turn out this way. He caught a flash of Kaya’s luminescent blonde hair as she dodged nobles in the crowd. He followed suit, less graceful thanks to his lack of elven agility and heavy armor, and eventually found her running to her room.

She knocked the pitcher of water off the table near the balcony with an enraged cry. It smacked against the floor and splashed at Cullen’s feet as he reached the top step. He froze and looked up at her incredulously.

“Shit, I’m sorry! I didn’t hear-” she gave an exasperated sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry.”

He took a cautious step towards her, avoiding the spilled pitched. “What’s wrong?”

She frowned and looked away. “It’s nothing. A foolish, personal grudge. I shouldn’t be so bitter about it.”

She looked at him, hesitation in her bright green eyes. Rarely did she open up about her personal life, about herself. She knew Cullen like the back of her hand but Cullen hardly knew what her favorite color was. He smiled softly, silently urging her to go on.

“My clan has no right to ask my back. The Keeper spent her whole life trying to get rid of me and now that I’ve finally found something worth fighting for she expects me to drop it and come back. Out of spite, no doubt. The Chantry would have to disband before she did anything to benefit Shems.”

Cullen stood wide eyed, unsure of how to respond. “Get rid of you?” he asked cautiously.

“I was… a problem child, to say the least. Not intentionally at first but when expectations for your success plummet, you start caring a little less.”

The last thing he wanted was to pry, but he couldn’t help but wonder. Kaya was wonderful, bright, funny, and kind. Among other things of course. More than that, she was strong and thought hot tempered most of the time, never let her anger cloud her judgement.

He moved further into the room, taking her hand gently and guiding her to her bed. He sat next to her and remained silent. Better to let her take the reins on this one and tell him what she was comfortable with.

Again, she seemed hesitant. He doubted she just didn’t want him knowing these things, more like it hurt her to think about them. “My parents,” she started. “They didn’t believe in the ways of the Dalish. They had no faith in the Creators that were so greatly praised, and for that, they left the clan. But they left me too.”

Just that much seemed to cause her strain, but she pressed on. “The Keeper was furious, cursing them all the time even after they were gone. I was a lingering reminder of what mistakes they were to her. After they left she stuck me with the blacksmith and left him to raise me.

“It wasn’t so bad, he was just strict and because of that I did reckless things. I got in trouble a lot, and the Keeper snagged every opportunity to scold me in front of the other children. I was the walking example of what not to find in the Dalish. Like it or not I was the best Hunter in the clan, so I had a few people stick up for me here and there. Like, if I got mad enough I’d stop bringing in food.”

She shook her head bitterly at the memory and looked up as she recalled more of her past. “The blacksmith died, I was seventeen, and the Keeper was tired of him sticking up for me, so she told me I was on my own. I was fine with it really, just meant I didn’t have anyone holding me back.” Cullen sat listening the entire time, not showing reaction to what she was saying because he wasn’t entirely sure how to respond.

“The last straw was a hunting arrangement the Keeper had put together.” Her face contorted into something angry, eyes bright with hatred at the memory. “She stuck a bunch of younger inexperienced Hunters with me and told me to teach them. I told her it was too dangerous, this region was crawling with humans and I wouldn’t be able to defend them if something went wrong because… because I wasn’t experienced with _humans_. For lack of a better term.”

Cullen wanted to say _something_ but words kept flowing out of Kaya’s mouth. It was like she’d uncapped something inside herself and now she had to let it all out. “Of course something went wrong. Things always go wrong for me. We encountered mercenaries who were more than eager to take a few elves back with them for coin. A few of the kids ran, two stayed with me. I was angry, yes. Did I intend to fight them? No. I was going to run as well. But those two _fools_ thought they were doing hero’s work by not running and instead firing arrows.”

She stood up and began pacing, slowly, more or less to calm her racing heart. Cullen wouldn’t lie, this was terrible. Her past was coated in so much rejection and horrible treatment, he didn’t think for a second her reaction to her clan’s request was overdramatic.

“They were killed. Quickly, obviously. I saw it coming. I couldn’t do anything. I just stood there and they all fought it out around me. I was the last one standing and they all said ‘Well one is better than nothing’.” Kaya skipped ahead, a large portion of the story left out. Intentionally, no doubt. Cullen was going to be sick.

“When I got back the Keeper was furious, said it was my fault those two kids died. Told me I’d be paying for it for the rest of my life. It didn’t help that I’d gotten stuck with a bunch of bone headed Shem’s, she was raving about how soiled I was.” Kaya spoke with anger but there was sadness buried under it all. She wished her clan had accepted her. Maybe things would have been different that way. “I put up with it for three more years. When I turned twenty, the Keeper got wind of a meeting between all the powerful Humans in Ferelden, Orlais, whatever. The whole shabang. She sent me to spy, as an excuse to get me out of the camp.”

“The Conclave.” Cullen said. Kaya had been sent to the Conclave to spy, that much he knew. But to get Kaya out of their camp?

“Yes. Shortly after I joined up with the Inquisition, right before I closed the Rift… I found out the Keeper had moved the clan. I had no idea where, just that I couldn’t go back. There was no one waiting for me there.”

“Kaya…” Cullen started, but he had no idea what to say.

“I’m over it, Cullen. Clan Lavellan means nothing to me anymore. It’s just a placeholder for my name. Nothing more.”

She was distant, back to him as she looked out at the mountains beyond Skyhold. She was suppressing real feelings towards this but Cullen couldn’t make her acknowledge them, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

“What will you do?” he asked quietly.

Kaya pondered this, her ear twitching again, and she turned to look at him. She was searching his eyes for something. Anger, approval, anything it seemed, to clue her in as to what he thought of her now. He smiled at her and visibly she relaxed.

“I’ll go.” she stated. “Only to give them proof I’m doing this willingly. Then I’m coming back, and they’re history.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> im working past writers block so this is all kind of jumbled ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
